The development of superhydrophobic and water-repellent surfaces has gained the scientific interest during the recent years. It is well accepted that in order this to be achieved, an appropriate chemistry in conjunction with a hierarchical roughness are necessary. In most cases investigated, fluorinated polymers have been utilized to provide the desired hydrophobicity. However, fluorinated compounds are the subject of various rules and regulations, especially in relation to PFAS, and their use should be reduced. In the present work, we develop superhydrophobic polymer nanocomposite coatings consisting of non-fluorinated polymers in the form of water-based silicone emulsions, that provide the required hydrophobicity, and spherical nanoparticles and/or two-dimensional layered materials to introduce the appropriate roughness. The coatings were deposited via dipping or spraying on different substrates like stainless steel, glass and polypropylene to evaluate their wide utilization. The wetting properties were evaluated via contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis measurements, the morphology of the coated surfaces was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while the surface chemical composition was determined via Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The nanocomposites were optimized so as to achieve the desired wetting properties whereas the effects of post-deposition treatments like annealing and spraying with different water solutions were investigated. For the optimized nanocoatings, superhydrophobic (CA > 150°) and water repellent (hysteresis < 5°) coating surfaces were obtained.
Acknowledgements: This research has been partially financed by the EU Horizon Europe Programme (project STOP [Grant Agreement 101057961] and project WISE [Grant Agreement 101138718]).

This work presents an overview of preparation, properties and biodegradability in different environments, from industrial compost to marine water, of composites and nanocomposites based on Poly (butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) or blends of PBSA and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-HV) as polymeric matrix for production of composites and nanocomposites. Bio-composites were prepared with filler derived from different biomasses such as wood, sea weeds, cereal fibres, and insect exoskeleton, a by-product obtained from grinding the insect’s post-protein extraction dry biomass, while nanocomposites were prepared with nanocellulose and nanosilica. The materials were produced by melt extrusion and injection moulding and characterized in terms of processability, thermal stability, morphology, and mechanical properties. Selected formulations were tested for biodegradability in industrial compost, home compost, soil and marine water attesting for high biodegradability of PBSA based composites, when natural fillers are present in the material. This study deepens knowledge of an emerging biobased polymer such as PBSA, with versatile properties alone and in blends with other biodegradable polymers such as PHB-HV as well as option for valorising biomass residue reducing the production cost of biopolyesters based composites without compromising mechanical properties for application as rigid items in agriculture or packaging, while promoting biodegradability.
This work has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme grant agreement “GA887648” project RECOVER.

References
Strangis, G.; Rossi, D.; Cinelli, P. Seawater Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate)—Wheat Bran Biocomposites ; Materials, 2023, 16(7), 2593, DOI: 10.3390/ma16072593.

Understanding structure-property-circularity relationships is the key to the development of new bio-based materials with a managed end-of-life, which for some applications could be biodegradation in specified environments. Lignin, a byproduct from the paper industry, can be blended with polylactide (PLA) to create PLA/lignin materials with attractive properties [1][2]. However, chemical modification of lignin is usually necessary [3][4], which can affect the already slow biodegradation rate [5]. Here, we investigated how material properties and degradation rate were influenced by blending different lignin materials in PLA. The different lignins included alkaline, Kraft and acetylated and/or fractionated lignins. The PLA/lignin blends were aged under hydrolytic and simulated composting conditions for up to 30 and 105 days, respectively. The introduction of lignin altered the morphology and crystallinity of the PLA matrix. During hydrolytic degradation, PLA/lignin blends with non-modified lignin showed lower weight loss and slower molecular weight reduction compared to neat PLA. In comparison, incorporation of modified lignin leads to similar or higher weight loss and faster molecular weight reduction. Partial deacetylation of lignin was confirmed for all acetylated samples during hydrolytic degradation and for the composted samples. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the type of lignin significantly influences the blend morphology as well as the subsequent degradation process.

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is the most widely used biodegradable polymer, due to its versatility and relatively low cost, and PLA-based foamed materials are being increasingly exploited commercially for packaging and insulation purposes. One of PLA’s most serious drawbacks is its limited biodegradability outside of industrial composting conditions, such as when dispersed in the environment. The blending of PLA with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is emerging as a promising strategy for enhancing its biodegradation.

In this work we have studied blends of two different PLAs, one semicrystalline and one amorphous, with a moderate amount (10-30 %) of an amorphous PHA, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate). Blends obtained by mixing at 160-185°C were thermally and morphologically characterized revealing a biphasic nature with a dispersed PHA phase 200-400 nm in size.

The blends were batch foamed via pressure drop method using supercritical CO₂. All amorphous blends could be easily foamed achieving densities and morphology dependent on foaming pressure and temperature. Low densities (< 50 g/L) and a microcellular closed-cell morphology could be obtained. The foaming of semicrystalline blends was highly dependent on their crystallization properties, which were modulated by blend composition and thermal pre-treatment. The presence of the PHA in the blend generally enhanced PLA crystallization kinetics and narrowed the foaming window of blends compared to PLA. Biodegradability in simulated home composting and marine conditions was measured to estimate the improvement in environmental sustainability of the blend foams over pure PLA foam.

The bulk self-assembly of BCP is mostly governed by parameters set at the completion of synthesis, defining the material’s nanostructure for its entire lifetime. The incorporation of NPs interacting with the BCP offers a promising way to modify this self-assembly. Field-responsive nanoparticles may enable control over the structuration of both inorganic and bonded organic phases, to finally achieve manipulation of block copolymers using magnetic fields to create “smart” thermoplastic elastomers.
We synthesized new model Hard-Soft-Hard (HSH) tri-block copolymers with an inner 'soft' poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) segment and two outer 'hard' segments of “non-adhesive” polystyrene (PS), “adhesive” polyvinylpyridines (P2/4VP), to precisely tune of the segregation strength. The outer blocks were designed to selectively adsorb onto NPs surface.
After preliminary study of the nanostructuration of the BCP in bulk, we then explore the effect of incorporating silica NPs. The addition of silica NPs induces anomalous ordering in their vicinity due to strong hydrogen bonds formed between silanol groups and P2/4VP.
To impart field-responsiveness to our systems, we synthesized model magnetic NPs via thermal decomposition and incorporated them into the BCP. These magnetic NPs can be stimulated by an 850 kHz oscillating magnetic field to (i) generate heat through magnetic hyperthermia , (ii) induce structural reorganization of the NPs along the field lines, (iii) enable the reorganization of the tri-block’s self-assembly if chain mobility is sufficient. This work paves the way for post-synthesis control of block copolymer self-assembly through the interplay of responsive magnetic nanoparticles and the copolymer’s bonded segments.

Water electrolysis powered by renewable energy is one of the principal methods for producing green hydrogen. [1] Among the various electrolysis technologies, anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) presents a highly promising and cost-effective approach to green hydrogen production.[2] By merging the low-cost materials of alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) with the compact design and fast response time of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), AEMWE can potentially revolutionize hydrogen generation. However, one of the critical challenges limiting AEMWE commercialization is the low mechanical stability of the ion-exchange membrane, especially when operating at higher pressures. Thus, enhancing the membrane’s mechanical properties is a crucial step toward achieving high-pressure operation, improving hydrogen production rates, and enabling large-scale industrial adoption.[3]
In this work, we propose a novel approach to reinforce the anion-exchange membrane by exploiting the support of a nanostructured polymeric backing layer and, thus, overcome the current limitations in AEMWE technology. The reinforcing material should improve the mechanical stability of the membrane without compromising its ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance. Indeed, the nanostructured reinforcement can distribute the mechanical stress more effectively, allowing for stable operation under increased pressure conditions. Mechanical, chemical, and electrochemical characterizations will be conducted to assess the membrane's durability and efficiency.